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Ted Chalfen's address about classmates' acceptance seen more than 42,000 times on YouTube

By Joe Rubino Camera Staff Writer

Posted:
05/25/2013 04:58:23 PM MDT

Updated:
05/25/2013 05:36:53 PM MDT

Most high school students' graduation speeches don't have much life beyond the commencement ceremony itself, save for perhaps in the form of a video file on a proud parent's computer.

That has not been the case for 2013 Fairview High School graduate Ted Chalfen's commencement address. One of two at-large student speakers at the Boulder school's May 19 commencement ceremony, the openly gay 18-year-old dedicated his speech to thanking his classmates and the Fairview community for accepting him for who he was during his four years at the school.

Be it due to its message of acceptance and tolerance, or the fact that it was shared on the gay news site, Towleroad.com, and later picked up by the Huffington Post, by Saturday afternoon, a video of the speech on Chalfen's YouTube account had been viewed more than 42,000 times.

"I didn't really see it catching on like it did. It was surprising to me that it got more than 400, 500 views," said Chalfen, a filmmaking enthusiast who took a film class at Fairview and will study film at the University of Colorado in the fall.

He said he posted the video to his YouTube account for the benefit of friends and family who could not attend the ceremony, and not for the purposes of sharing it across the gay community or with national media outlets.

"I wanted to do this for my peers--to give them some sincere thanks -- and for the people that were in the audience who aren't out yet, just to give them some inspiration that maybe it's not going to be as bad as you thought it is gonna be," he said. "The whole reaction has been weird. I actually didn't have any of this on the agenda."

Chalfen said he knew for certain he was gay by the end of eighth grade, and decided he would be honest about that fact with anyone who asked him in high school.

One of the first instances at Fairview that made him feel accepted was during an English class when he read a poem that, while not explicit, implied he was gay. While the atmosphere in the classroom was awkward afterward, one girl spoke up and told him she appreciated him sharing and being so honest.

"I heard the horror stories of how this could be the worst four years of a young gay man's life," Chalfen said in his speech, adding he was prepared for alienation and possibly even physical abuse. "The response that I have received, by in large, has been stunning.

"The amount of people who actually appeared happy to hear that I was gay outnumber those who didn't care, and those who didn't care far outnumbered the small group that reacted negatively. The kindness and understanding that you all have shown me over the past four years speaks volumes about each of you as human beings."

The audience's positive reaction to the speech is apparent in the video, but Chalfen said the part he remembers -- and appreciates most -- was the hug he got from fellow student speaker, Jackson Wojciechowski, as he walked from the podium.

Reaction to the YouTube video also has been overwhelmingly positive, Chalfen said, with people from across the globe reaching out to thank him for posting it, including a man from Malaysia, a country not known for its tolerance of gays.

"You are amazing. Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us," YouTube user europa312 posted on the video. "I graduated 20 years ago in a small town in Northern Colorado and no one would ever even DREAM of coming out back then. How you were treated gives me so much hope for the future."

Fairview Principal Don Stensrud was on the stage behind Chalfen during his speech and said the reaction he saw on the faces in the crowd was "powerful." He said the way the speech has spread online has been a pleasant surprise.

"I think it speaks highly of our community and of our country becoming more accepting. We are all here together. We are all one world and we better be loving and caring and kind," he said. "This is a proud moment as a principal. You have a young man who is that bold and courageous and a student body that is that accepting."

Boulder Valley School's Superintendent Bruce Messinger was not at the Fairview ceremony but said he was forwarded a link to the Huffington Post's article on the speech on Thursday. He said the district has long had a goal of making its schools welcoming for all people and he hopes Chalfen's experience is one shared by many LGBTQ students going forward.

"This notion of accepting all people, this generation understands it as well as anyone before them and I think that was reflected in his speech," Messinger said. "It really resonates well with our youth throughout our school district and community and I tend to think throughout the country."

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